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Say what you will about her clothes, but one thing I always notice is how human and happy the models tend to look walking for Anna Sui. That shouldn't be underrated in my books. A little happiness goes a long way.

__________________Fashion: Don’t you recognize me? Death: You should know that I don’t see very well and I can’t wear glasses. Fashion: I’m Fashion, your sister. Death: My sister? Fashion: Yes. You and I together keep undoing and changing things down here on earth although you go about it in one way and I another. Giacomo Leopardi, “Dialogue Between Fashion and Death.”abridged

__________________Fashion: Don’t you recognize me? Death: You should know that I don’t see very well and I can’t wear glasses. Fashion: I’m Fashion, your sister. Death: My sister? Fashion: Yes. You and I together keep undoing and changing things down here on earth although you go about it in one way and I another. Giacomo Leopardi, “Dialogue Between Fashion and Death.”abridged

I've always liked Anna the person and personality, but never liked her designs. I know there's a history between her and Steven Meisel and Marc Jacobs, but those guys were able to evolve away from the downtown/thriftstore aesthetic while Anna never could-- or would. There's always a trace of 60s Swinging London in her designs from the very start, and to her credit, she's made a career of it-- so good for her.

I suppose her designs are the epitome of fun and cute DIY fashion-- it's all unabashedly girlie-ness, with babydoll dresses always dominating every season, and that's manifested in the models bright smiles as they hop and skip down the runway; there's always a fresh girlie-vibe-- no divas or solemn cheek-sucking here. She's obviously not the hip label or the cool name to drop, but I'm glad she's plugging away doing her thing and still very much thriving because, to me, that means there are girls who are buying her designs and hopefully, have the same nice attitude as Anna's fashions. And in a way, it's a great statement that as fast-moving and unforgiving as the fashion industry's becoming, there's always room for consistency and someone like Anna Sui-- who I sense would be equally content if she just had a small boutique on the Lower East Side selling one-offs and nothing else. I think there's a genuine and everlasting charm about her and her designs.